The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM), which led the July 2024 mass uprising in Bangladesh, has rapidly evolved into a unique political formation. Within months, it gave rise to a civil society platform Jatiyo Nagorik Committee (JNC), and announced plans for a formal political party, challenging the dominance of long-standing, family-led parties. This youth-led transition from movement to formal politics is unprecedented in Bangladesh and rare globally in such a short timeframe. This study will investigate the interlinked evolution of ADSM, JNC, and the newly formed Jatiya Nagorik Party to understand youth political mobilisation, party formation, and new forms of governance in post-authoritarian contexts.
Researchers: Syeda Salina Aziz; Asif Shahan; Md. Kamruzzaman; Saklain Al Mamun; Raihan Ahamed; Rabeena Sultana Ananna; Inteemum Ahsan; Suranjit Paul; Md. Ashikur Rahman; Md. Sadiur Rahman; Abrar Hasan; Muhibul Hasan Arnob; Mehrab Hossain; M.M. Nuruzzaman; Anamul Haque
Partner: International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Timeline: 2025-2026
Status: Ongoing
Contact: Syeda Salina Aziz; salina@bracu.ac.bd
Context
The regime-toppling July 2024 mass insurrection was led by and composed primarily of a large youth movement, now known as the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement (ADSM). Soon after the unprecedented success of the movement, the ADSM announced the formation of a new civil society actor, called the Jatiya Nagorik Committee (JNC), which translates to ‘National Citizens’ Committee’. The committee was formed to “eradicate the fascist political system” left behind by the prior regime and promised to work as a “pressure group” for Bangladeshi governance going forward. The Jatiya Nagorik Party was eventually launched in February 2025 by the ADSM and JNC.
This evolving ecosystem of the Anti Discrimination Student Movement, as an activist/social movement platform, is particularly interesting both in the national/regional context and also within the larger academic framework. Major political parties operational in Bangladesh, particularly the ones who have been in power, have thus far been very similar—all of them have family-based leadership and their inception was in the early days of the country’s existence. The inception of this new political party stands out not only in its lack of family centric structure, but also in its youth-centric leadership and inception. Particularly within Bangladesh, there has not been a major political party that was formed by young people as a result of a youth-led mass uprising. The close and direct affiliation of this proposed party with the JNC, a civil society organisation, and the ADSM, a social movement group, also positions the family of the three into a very unique standpoint in the country’s historic context.
Objectives
This study will document the process of youth led political formation in the post uprising phase. The aim is to see the political leadership formation among new youth led political platforms and their interaction with other political actors.
Methodology
Data collection will cover three divisional cities, districts, and upazilas. The research includes observing activities, interviewing leaders, coordinators, and political party representatives, and holding informal discussions and FGDs to capture public responses. Secondary sources like media and reports will complement primary data. Ethical approval will be obtained, informed consent ensured, and confidentiality maintained. Participants can withdraw anytime. Data will be anonymised, securely stored, and accessed only by authorised researchers. Results will be reported collectively to protect identities.
Findings and Recommendations
Forthcoming.
